Mokama Murder Case: 80 Arrested So Far, Heavy Force Deployed As Poll Campaign Enters Final Days

As the situation remains tense in Mokama after the murder of Jan Suraaj Party candidate supporter Dular Chand Yadav, the police have so far arrested 80 accused, including JDU candidate and 'Bahubali' Anant Singh, the police said on Sunday.

A senior police official said that Singh, along with his associates Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram, were arrested in the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

They were presented before a Patna court and were remanded to 14-day judicial custody.

Speaking about the police action in Dular Chand murder case, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Patna, Kartikeya Sharma said, "We have so far registered five FIRs and arrested 80 people, including Singh, in connection with Yadav's murder and other related incidents. More arrests are expected as investigations into the FIRs are on."

Yadav died on Thursday while campaigning for Jan Suraaj Party's candidate Piyush Priyadarshi in Patna's Mokama area. He was shot at in the leg and sustained an ankle injury.

According to Yadav's autopsy report, he died of cardiorespiratory failure due to shock caused by injury to the heart and lungs by a hard and blunt substance, the SSP said.

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"The post-mortem examination report and preliminary investigation suggest this is a case of murder," Sharma added.

Meanwhile, security has been ramped up in Mokama and police are keeping a close watch on the candidates who are contesting the polls.

Emphasising the arrangements, the Patna SSP said, "A large number of security personnel has been deployed in the Mokama area. While 13 companies of Central Armed Police Force are camping in the area, two units of Special Task Force (STF) and four Quick Response Teams (QRTs) of Patna Police have also been deployed".

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Earlier, DGP Vinay Kumar said, "Strict action will be taken against those who violate the election model code of conduct. People who take the law into their own hands will not be spared."

Reacting to Singh's arrest, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, "It was expected… it should have been done earlier. This is the 'jungle raaj' in Bihar, where murders are happening like anything. Recently, a father-son duo were killed in Ara."

(With PTI Inputs)